Page 6 of You Before Me

Well. I didn't intend to say all of that, but my big mouth has a mind of it's own. To avoid looking at this practical stranger, I stare into my glass as I take a sip.

Instead of giving me an inspirational speech that I wouldn't care two cents about, Gabe simply tells me, “You'll figure it out. Find something you like and run with it.”

I don't bother telling him that nothing catches my interest enough to make a job out of it. Our waitress brings our food, and Gabe smiles at her good-naturedly. He gives me the vibe of a pure, one hundred percent good guy. Maybe it's that stupid girl in me, but it makes me a little wary. There has to be a kink in his shiny exterior. It's so the stupid girl talking, trying to rationalize it because guys can't simply be good.

“Was he cheating on her?”

“Huh?” I look up from my French toast, my mind still lost in my good guy debate.

“You were spying to see if your friend's boyfriend was a cheater. Was he?”

“Oh!” Nodding, I say, “Yeah. They were starting to go at it like animals right before you showed up.” I shake my head with a guilty grin at the memory. “I should probably be consoling my friend, but she left me to get caught, so she'll be fine. Are you from around here?” I rather learn more about him than talk about Viv.

“Yeah, born and raised. You?”

“Nope. People are supposed go away for college, and since my parents wouldn't let me go out-of-state, I went across the state. This was as far as I could get. We used to come to a town not too far from here for beach vacations, though.”

He nods as if he's considering something. “Why do you think people should go away for college?”

“Well, isn't college supposed to be a time of your life where you get away from what you know to really experience new things? To learn about yourself and who you are apart from your family? At least, that's why I wanted to leave home.”

I have Gabe's full attention now.

“That makes sense to me, although I never went far from home,” he says in response.

“Maybe you didn't have to. Maybe you already knew all those things,” I tell him quietly, looking down at the table. Our plates are empty now, and the conversation isn't fun anymore. It's more personal than I care for. I clear my throat, smile, and add, “I'll be right back.” I grab the bill from the edge of the table and begin to slide out of the booth.

“You don't have to. I'll pay,” Gabe objects.

“My treat, remember?” I leave to take care of our tab before he can say anything else. This is why I always carry some cash in my pockets because I left my purse at my apartment. Gabe walks over to tell me he left a tip. It's time to go home now.

I let him open all the doors for me, wondering if he's the type to come inside for a little sex. Probably not. He opens doors for women and even called me a “lady.” I don't think he's that kind of guy. Besides, he hasn't even been home yet, and he just got off work.

“Where do I need to take you?” He asks.

I give him directions to my apartment. We ride in silence the rest of the way. When we get to my place, I thank him for the ride and for allowing me to treat him to dinner before getting out. Gabe rolls the window down and calls out for me to wait. I lean down to see what he wants. Maybe he is that type after all.

“Here.” He holds out a slip of paper. “You seem to find yourself in trouble quite often. If you ever need help, call me.”

With a grin, I ask, “Is this your way of giving me a chance to ask you out again?”

Gabe chuckles, but ignores my question. “Have a good night, Ryan.”

“You too.”

When I get inside, I stare at his number. There's no time to think about him because Viv bursts into my apartment.

“Do you even know how to knock?”

“What the hell happened?” She throws her hands up like I'm the one who abandoned her.

“You tell me. You let me get caught! You didn't even warn me!”

Viv's shoulders sag. “Sorry. I panicked. You didn't get arrested, did you?”

“No. It was the same officer who pulled me over the other day. We went out to eat because his shift was over.” Like a true winner, I hold up his phone number with a smirk.

Viv playfully shoves my arm with a laugh. “You bitch. Here I was worried I would have to bail you out of jail, and you went on a date!”

---